South Africa has extended its advantage over Australia from six points to 22 points at the top of the ICC Test team rankings, released this week.

The gap in points follows the annual update with the results from 2011-12 now dropped from the calculations and outcomes from the 2013-14 series weighted at 50 per cent.

These calculations have resulted in South Africa’s previous lead of six points to increase by a further 16 points owing to Hashim Amla’s side gaining six points and Australia dropping 10 points.

The annual update has seen a reshuffle in the middle of the pack and now just three rankings points separate third-ranked New Zealand from seventh-ranked Sri Lanka. Prior to the annual update, the gap between the third and seventh ranked sides was seven points.

Fifth-ranked England and sixth-ranked Pakistan have slipped on the ladder after dropping five points apiece. This is due to England’s 4-0 win over India and Pakistan’s 3-0 clean sweep over England among other results in 2011-12 being dropped from the rankings calculations.

India has benefitted from the annual update as heavy defeats against England and Australia in 2011-12 no longer count. As such, India has gained four points and two places in the latest Test table.

Eighth-ranked West Indies has gained five ratings points to reduce the gap with seventh-ranked Sri Lanka from 17 points to 12 points. Bangladesh has collected six points and Zimbabwe has dropped 13 points as the difference between the two bottom-ranked sides have increased to 34 points.

As fifth-ranked England will take on New Zealand in a two-Test series on 21 May and sixth-ranked Pakistan travels to Sri Lanka next month for a three-Test series, the series outcomes may well result in significant movements on the Test rankings.

Rank	Team	Points
1 (-)	South Africa	130 (+6)
2 (-)	Australia	108 (-10)
3 (+2)	New Zealand	99 (0)
4 (+3)	India	99 (+4)
5 (-1)	England	97 (-5)
6 (-3)	Pakistan	97 (-5)
7 (-1)	Sri Lanka	96 (0)
8 (0)	West Indies	84 (+5)
9 (-)	Bangladesh	39 (+6)
10 (-)	Zimbabwe	5 (-13)